History of Hispanics in the Americas

September 15 marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S., commemorating a Hispanic heritage dating to the 1400s, when explorers from Spain and Portugal began colonizing the New World.  Given the impact of Hispanic exploration in the Americas, there are hundreds of historic sites to celebrate Hispanic and Latino heritage both in the U.S. and elsewhere.  Why not travel to them during Hispanic Heritage Month?

New York

The Hispanic Society Museum and Library is home to one of the largest collections of Spanish manuscripts and art outside of Spain.  In Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, visitors can explore the museum's extraordinary collection of more than 18,000 works of art. 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Spain conquered Puerto Rico and founded the capital city of San Juan more than 500 years ago, in 1521. Visitors to the island can learn about the Spanish era at the still-imposing Castillo San Felipe del Morro, constructed beginning in 1539.

St. Augustine, Florida

America's oldest continuously inhabited colonial city, St. Augustine, was founded on Sept. 8, 1565, by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, a Spanish admiral.  Spain occupied Florida until 1763 and again from 1783 to 1821.  The city has many Hispanic heritage sites, including the National Park Service's Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.  The Spaniards built it in the late 1600s to protect the city from pirates.  It's the oldest masonry fortification in the continental U.S.

Mexico City

The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, fell to the Spanish 500 years ago, on Aug. 13, 1521. In the subsequent centuries, the ruins of that metropolis morphed into Mexico City.  Before it was a bustling metropolis, the region was home to giant lakes dotted with islands.  

Although the Spanish destroyed much of the Aztec city, certain archaeological sites, including the area around the Templo Mayor, can still be seen today.  Visit the Museo Nacional de Antropologia to learn more about Aztec culture and the human side of this tragic history.

Cartagena, Colombia

The walls of Cartagena de Indias were erected more than 400 years ago to defend the city against pirates and other colonial powers.  This was one of Spain's richest and most important bases in the New World, as it shipped out treasures plundered from Colombia and the rest of northern South America. The walls and forts, such as Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, were built to prevent Cartagena from invasion by the English, French and privateers.  They remain some of the best-preserved Spanish fortifications in South America.

Quito, Ecuador

Quito is the oldest continuously inhabited South American capital and was a population center long before the Spanish founded their city there in the 16th century. The Spanish forced locals to convert to Catholicism and built many churches and monasteries, including the Church of San Agustin.  It was here that Ecuador's Act of Independence was signed in 1809 after a victory over the Spanish troops.  Many religious buildings are now museums you can visit in the historical center of Quito — the first city designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Spain's military, economic, and cultural conquest created a significant historical record of Hispanic heritage that endures today.  However, that success resulted from brutal campaigns and the suppression of countless Indigenous cultures already living in North and South America.